Virginia Wine

October is Virginia Wine month

October is Virginia wine month! Weekend Oasis vacation rentals is pleased to offer all three of our properties at a discount of 10% during Virginia wine month. Simply use promo code "discount" when booking. Wine isn't new to Virginia: the first vineyard was planted in 1608 to native grapes. Up to very recent years Virginia’s most successful varietals were hybrids such as Seyval Blanc and Vidal Blanc, grapes that found a welcome home in New York State and Ontario. The Virginia wine industry has blossomed over the past decade to the point where the state ranks 5th among vinifera-growing U. S. states behind California, Washington State, Oregon, and New York State.

In 2004, Virginia boasted 262 vineyards and in 2007, more than 130 wineries were operating. No longer restricted to hybrid varietals, Virginia wineries now offer many of the better known vinifera wines: Chardonnay, Viognier (a star performer), Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. But also on the list are some interesting varietals not often seen elsewhere: Petit Manseng (which makes a delicious dessert wine), Chamboursin, and Virginia’s great native winegrape, Norton.

The Norton grape produces a rich, dry red table wine and has been cultivated in Virginia since 1820. It was acclaimed at the Vienna World’s Fair as “the best red wine of all nations.” Perhaps the judges from California and France stayed at home that year. In recent years Missouri has found the Norton grape especially well-suited to its climate and enjoys the largest planting of this variety in the U.S. (and probably the world).